Could 'freedom gas' become the 'freedom fries' of 2019? The VERIFY team explains what's going on with this natural gas nickname making headlines.

Author:
Terry Spry Jr.

Published:
7:50 PM CDT May 31, 2019

Updated:
7:50 PM CDT May 31, 2019

Some headlines about a Department of Energy press release had some social media outlets thinking the U.S. Energy Department had officially re-branded "natural gas" to "freedom gas."

The term was used in a quote by a Department of Energy official in an official Department of Energy press release.

THE QUESTION:

Did the D.O.E. officially change the term "natural gas," to "Freedom gas?"

THE ANSWER:

No, there was press release from the department that used that language, but it was a one-time change for that specific release.

WHAT WE FOUND:

The press release promoted natural gas production in the United States and the export of gas from the Freeport LNG Terminal in Texas. To most people, it would be fairly unremarkable if not for the quotes about "freedom gas."

“Increasing export capacity from the Freeport LNG project is critical to spreading freedom gas throughout the world," began a quote from U.S. Under Secretary of Energy Mark W. Menezes.

That quote was then proceeded by another patriotic reference to natural gas from Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy Steven Winberg.

"I am pleased that the Department of Energy is doing what it can to promote an efficient regulatory system that allows for molecules of U.S. freedom to be exported to the world,” he said.

No other mentions were made to "freedom gas" or "molecules of U.S. freedom" in the release.

So while Department of Energy officials referred to natural gas in patriotic ways in an official D.O.E. press release, they have not officially called for natural gas to be re-branded to the more patriotic "freedom gas".